Test of the Emerald Champion
The Test of the Emerald Champion was a tournament performed in the Plains of Thunder, generally formatted as a series of iaijutsu duels, that determined who would hold the title of Emerald Champion. The Test of the Emerald Champion, Part One, by Brian Yoon Emperor's Enforcer The test was originally created to determine the Emperor's personal bodyguard, and its first winner was Kakita in the year 23. Imperial Histories, p. 14 The First Tournament saw contests of athletics, wrestling, and strategy that culminated in a kenjutsu tournament. Imperial Histories, p. 30 Because of its reliance on the style of duels that Kakita created and mastered, the test has often gone to Crane Clan samurai. Schedule The evening before the tournament's first rounds began, the individual Clan delegations present met privately to discuss their focus for the tournament. At the same time a meeting of the assembled Imperial personnel took place. Art of the Duel, p. 181 Test to be performed the First Day The purpose of the first day of competition was to determine which contestants would be selected to advance to the iaijutsu tournament the following day. * Test of Etiquette: it was considered one of the most difficult of the tests, Test of Etiquette (Emerald and Jade Championship flavor) designed to gauge their ability to maintain their composure under uncomfortable circumstances. Art of the Duel, p. 183 * Test of Investigation: Test of Investigation (Emerald and Jade Championship Title) it was by far the most elaborate Test conducted in preparation for the iaijutsu tournament. Art of the Duel, p. 184 * Test of Law: Test of Law (Emerald and Jade Championship Title) the most difficult of the Tests, it required an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Rokugani law. * Test of Leadership: Test of Leadership (Emerald and Jade Championship Title) the contenders played Go. The boards were made to present a challenge to one of the players. While some boards were set up normally, others were set up in a way that would never happen in a real game. The purpose of the test was never to see if a contender could beat his opponent. It was to see if he could adapt to the scenario and attempt new strategies. Another choice involved a large table with a topographical map, complete with some three-dimensional representations of major landmarks and geographical features, to resolve a battle in a suitable manner. Art of the Duel, p. 185 * Test of Resources: Test of Resources (Emerald and Jade Championship Title) this Test was designed to weed out any contestants who would prove grossly incompetent in administering an organization as large and complex as the Emerald Magistrates. * Test of Martial Ability: Test of Martial Ability (Emerald and Jade Championship Title) it was the simplest of the Tests to pass, and pitted the competitor against a pair of young guardsmen to demonstrate weapons skills, first with a bokken, followed by katana, and finally with a weapon chosen by the Head Judge. Art of the Duel, pp. 185-186 Final Test The second day held the iaijutsu tournament that ultimately decided who would advance to the position of Emerald Champion. At dawn of the day following the tournament's conclusion, there was a massivc ceremony held wherein the Emperor bestowed a personal oath of fealty to the victor, imparting him with the power, responsibilities, and trappings of the Emerald Champion. * Iaujutsu tournament: The Test of the Emerald Champion, Part Two, by Shawn Carman duels were to the first blood, without exception. See Emerald Champion for a listing of all known Champions, both current and historic. External Links * Test of the Emerald Champion (Imperial) * Favor of the Emerald Champion(Promotional) Category:Tournaments